Saturday, February 8th, 2020

Copenhagen, Denmark

118th operating temple

Dedicated: 23 May 2004

By: Gordon B. Hinckley

Jesus Christ, Judge

Psalm 94:2

Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.

Book of Mormon/"Come Follow Me"

Review 2 Nephi 1-5

"Found Through the Book of Mormon"

Elder Ruben V. Alliaud

"Nephi explained the central purpose of the Book of Mormon in this way:

'For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God. ...

And so we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, and we prophesy of Christ, ... that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.'

The entire Book of Mormon is imbued with the same sacred purpose."

I was up at 3:45 this morning to get ready to go to the temple. We left at 5:40 after having our morning prayer. We listened to four conference talks on the way to Snowflake. One was Elder Rasband's, "Standing By Our Promises and Covenants." Both the Relief Society and the Elder's Quorum are studying this lesson on Sunday. I am glad that President Crane wanted to study the same talk as we were studying.

We had to stop as we reached the Jake Flake bridge in Snowflake to take a picture of the full moon over the temple. The moon never turns out in a picture as it looks in real life. Today was no different. There was a glare in the picture but I'm going to post it anyway.

The moon was clear and yellow and it looks

pretty amazing.

The Palmer's presided at our preparation meeting. President Palmer is the temple president. He told us that President Brimhall was going to be released because of health issues. He recently has a heart procedure and is going to need another one in the near future. He and his wife (she's my favorite) have served faithfully but it has become more difficult because of his health. James was friends with President Brimhall when they worked on the Show Low High Council together and we both are sad that they need to be released. President Palmer asked us to pray for them, which we will.

Our training today was regarding baptisms. Brother and Sister Lofgreen are the baptismal directors today in the absence of the Weinhardts. There are lots of groups coming today for baptisms. I saw one young man who looked like he was no more than 10. It is exciting to see these young people serving in the temple.

My first assignment, for an hour, was at the sealing desk downstairs, under the stairs. Most of the time I just sat reading the headings of the chapters in the Old Testament. I am at the end of Ezekiel. The first people to come in were the Merrill's who come nearly every week we are here to do sealings. Sister Merrill looks like she's going to have a baby any day, and I wonder how difficult it is to kneel at the altar, but she is here which tells me a lot about her. Just as it was time for me to leave another sister, Sister Parker, came in and asked to do sealings. I filled out her card and told her the sister at the top of the stairs would take she and her husband back to the sealing room as soon as they were dressed in their ceremonial clothing. When I got to the top of the stairs, no one was there, so I waited for them and took them back. This cut in to my break a little but I still had plenty of time to eat.

I sat by Sister Humphrey's and Brother Hancock. Sister Hancock got a sub today because she is working at her job in Lakeside with special needs children. I guess her brother is one of her students.

Brother and Sister Hancock are cute newly weds who work on our shift. They live on the golf course that surrounds the temple near the 14th hole. Brother Hancock told a story about his wife. He said, you think she is sweet and kind, which she is most of the time, but let me tell you a little trick she plays on the golfers on the 14th hole. We have a row of trees that separate us from the golf course. She sneaks out with her air horn and when the golfer is ready to make a shot she blows her horn. You can imagine what the golfer does. She laughs and runs back to the house, unseen.

We had four sisters on our shift who did not show up nor did they call or get a substitute. Sister Elmer had to entirely redo her schedule. I felt sorry for her, but somehow we survived without these four sisters.

I was at the veil three times today, for every session during our shift. The first time I was the presenter at veil 2 and James was the receiver. That has never happened before and it was kind of neat.

After the veil I am always "as assigned" which is basically the same as a break. I went down to the break room to talk to James about the 1:30 session which is the session we attend after we are finished working. There will be two own endowee's and I told him that the session might be busy and we need to go up early.  He agreed.

Sister Elmer joined us, and told about the diet she is on where she has lost 22 lbs. She eats no flour and no sugar. I asked if it was a change in her lifestyle and she said she didn't know. It was too early to tell.

I had a chance to visit with my friend Elwanda Reidhead from Heber. She knew Randy and Dennis in high school and I told her about Randy's funeral. She told me about something very serious and upsetting that happened recently in Heber in front of the high school. One of the teachers at the high school, Mrs. Crandell, who lives across the street from the school and was walking to school one morning was attacked by three pit bulls who live down the street with an older man. They tore her scalp off and she had to have over 500 stitches. Someone came out and shot one of the dogs and the other two ran away or it would have been worse. This could have been one of the kids because several houses are located across the street and there is lots of kids who come and go. I asked if the other dogs were going to be put down and she said, "they better be."

Sister Reidhead was asked to be ready to help with the prayer circle in the 11 o'clock session because there were not enough sisters. She was excited and said the prayer circle is her favorite and whenever she does a session they always do the prayer circle. She is a great example to me. As a result of her attitude James and I did the prayer circle in the 1:30 session.

The 1:30 session was not busy. I did not have to be nudged this time when it was time to raise my hand. I won't say I didn't sleep but at least it wasn't as noticeable. I was the last sister to go through the veil and my friend, Sister Andersen from Flagstaff, was my presenter. I am always so glad when we do a session and I thanked James in the Celestial room for staying inspite of not feeling well.

On the way home we stopped at Sonic for a burger for me and a hotdog and a corndog for James. It was 64 degrees when we left Snowflake and 55 in Vernon. 

Brian was cleaning the kitchen when we got home, I guess they had just eaten and Kim was working on the new crossword puzzle Brian got her for Christmas. 

Quilt patterns. I did the one purple square with

the four blue squares.

James got 5,700 steps for me at the temple. I am sure I got at least that many as many times as I went up and down the stairs. I came home and walked until I got over 10,000. I also did some undisciplined eating because of that darn apple crisp. Kim wont' eat it because she is trying to eat glueten free because she has to have bloodwork done this week. Anyway I ate and walked and worked on my blog before James, Kim and I watched the newest Hallmark movie, "Matched Hearts." Brian watched the Suns game on his phone.

Ryan Pavey and Taylor Cole